Council tax rise is on the way

SEFTON’S three political parties have submitted a joint budget proposal for the first time in living history.

This is the first time since Sefton Council was formed in 1974 that the parties have presented one budget proposal to the cabinet.

All the parties worked together to plug a £5mfunding gap in the 2007/08 budget while ensuring the council tax rise is kept below three per cent, with the base agreed at 2.99 per cent.

This will increase the council tax base for band D households from £1,109.21 per year to £1,142.36 before the precepts and levies are added.

When the levies, which are made up of waste disposal and passenger transport costs, and the precepts for police and fire brigade are added, residents will be looking at an estimated 4.27 per cent rise.

However, the levies increase has still to be confirmed but is expected to be 1.28 per cent.

Lib Dem leader Cllr Tony Robertson said: “The joint budget is the result of a determined cross-party united effort. We wanted to keep the wretched council tax increase as low as possible. We’ve gone through every department’s spending with a fine tooth comb.”

Conservative party leader Cllr Paula Parry added: “We managed to work with the other two parties to get the best for people, which I think is a step forward for Sefton Council and hopefully a sign of things to come.”

The proposed budget will now be probed by the Scrutiny and Review committee before going to back to the Cabinet for consideration and to full council for approval on March 1.